#Thatscrabblelife

So, tonight, an old friend who knew how much we (my family)liked scrabble said we were ‘like one whole block of scrabble”.

I thought about it for a few minutes and realized that not only did i like the analogy, it was complimentary and described my outlook on life.

Life is really like Scrabble......

1. Like life- The tiles while blank on the flipside have varied letters with different numerical values. We are all humans and have many similarities but we are also unique individuals with different values and attributes that make us special. We bring different things to the table and even the big tiles Q, Z, J, X need the 1 point vowels to make them work. Everyone we meet deserves kindness and respect because we all need each other.

2. Like life- You randomly pick tiles each round and the goal is to make the best with what you get. This is the reality that life is a gift, may be packed with good fortune, can be unfair at times but we strive to make the best of the hand we are dealt.

3. Like life- your best scores are when you build on existing words formed by you or more likely by others to get the best possible outcomes. This highlights the importance of relationship building and recognizing opportunities.

4. Like life- sometimes things are simple other times they are complicated but we can make things as simple as we want. Some rounds things come easy and the tiles align in seconds and sometimes it’s a lot of work just to get a few points. This is the reality of the ebbs and flows of life.

5. Like life- sometimes you play your round fast seeing a new /easy word but realize that when you rush to make decisions , you may miss out on seeing even better opportunities. Fast and decisive is good but always good to pause and think before committing especially when stakes are high.

6. Like life- we may get blank tiles ( 2 in scrabble) to use however we want. These are rare opportunities and when they happen we should be alert and ready to utilize them. This is preparation meets opportunity!

7. Like life- there are times when you have a terrible rack and you have no words to form. you have to take a deep breath, take a big ZERO, toss in your tiles and start with a whole new rack. You don’t give up, you start over realizing that letting go instead of patching things along may be better.

8. Like life- sometimes you hit it big with a good set of tiles and you are ecstatic ! if you are smart you realize the next round could be a dud and you don’t gloat. This is a sense of gratitude and humility.

9. Like life- you may play a round that earns you a few points but opens up a huge opportunity for the next player. This is fine, it happens. Hopefully you get your turn sometime Soon.

10. Like life- scrabble is more fun when you are playing with people who challenge you and make you think /grow/strategize. It’s easy to always play with people you dominate,but the fun in that is fleeting. It gets boring fast! In life, if you’re always the smartest in the room, you need to make new friends. You only grow when you are being stretched.

11. Like life- scrabble is also fun when you are teaching new people esp kids. The joy in passing on a new lesson, strategy, tile maximization is priceless. If something works and helps others , pay it forward.

12. Like life- there are times in scrabble you hold on to tiles in one round (even though you could form a simple word ) in order to use them later with a different set of tile(s). This is a combination of delayed gratification and hope. A winning combination.

13. Finally, like life- you may have a prized, highly value tile like a Z, X or Q but can’t play or won’t play until you have the right complement of tiles or openings to make it work. Others don’t know this and may see you score low points a few rounds. Just stay calm, collected and know what you have. Don’t rush, don’t settle and when the time is right, THE BOARD IS YOURS for the taking. In life, this is about knowing what you have, valuing your assets and what you bring to the table.

So, bottom line is I do like the scrabble analogy. The game of Scrabble is fun and packed with life lessons. I don’t know if my friend was teasing me or just joking, but hey it inspired this post. #scrabblelife #Iamscrabble